The Fairy Tail
by Candybugg
Summary: This is a slow developing NaLu story that takes place after the Tartaros arc. Many people were left scarred from from what is probably the biggest fight in all of Fairy Tails history. Lucy struggles to get over the sacrifice she made to save her guild, and is continually haunted by it in her thoughts. Will she ever get over the pain?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Thank you for deciding to read my first fic! Now, before we start the chapter, I have a few things I need to say...**

 **This is the only story I will be posting. I will try to update as often as possible, but I haven't quite worked out an entire schedule for my updates. So I may be sluggish to start, and please forgive me for that, but I'll develop a schedule soon!**

 **Also, to clear up any confusion out there, this is going to be an endless fanfiction (Well, as far as I'm concerned...^^"). I'm actually quite nervous. I've never posted anything like this for the public before, and I really hope you enjoy it. I will do a few chapters that wander from the story (Completely), but those are just for holidays. Mainly Christmas, Easter, valentines day (Ohh the** ** _fluff_** **), etc.**

 **I'd also appreciate a review at the end of this chapter, letting me know how I did, and if there are any improvements needing to be made. I already have a beta reader, checking my spelling and grammar. But just in case you see any miss spelled words, please let me know. Also, don't be shy! If there's something you think I did bad on, feel free to let me know! I always need a little push to help me get better. This takes place after the Tartaros Arc. The rest is my own story, with many other arcs.** MASHIMA-SENSEI **OWNS FAIRY TAIL! NOT ME!" Mashima pops into existence, thus creating the Fairy Tail.**

 **Well, I see this '** ** _few things to say_** **' has nearly turned into a chapter itself!**

 **Without any more wait, enjoy the chapter!**

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 **NORMAL P.O.V.**

Lucy's eyes bugged as Natsu held up the job flyer. "Are you CRAZY?!" She screeched, grabbing the parchment from her partners grasp. The job payed well, but the job itself? Lucy shivered at the thought of facing a group of dark mages.

Natsu just shrugged "Well, you said you wanted a challenge. So I picked that one!" He smiled proudly, as if he had just won the Grand Magic Games.

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest "Yeah! But this is too hard! Plus, we could only do it with Erza and Gray," She paused, letting out a sigh "But they both went on their own solo missions." Lucy began to wonder why they even went on their own like that. Well, Lucy knew Gray left on a job near Juvia's location, since she _also_ went on a solo mission. She was beginning to suspect that Gray had a soft spot for the obsessed-water mage.

"So? We're both strong enough to do it ourselves. We're Fairy Tail mages after all!" He grinned, lighting his fist on fire. Goodness, he sure does get excited. Lucy shrugged "Fine, but the reward is going to be split 40-60, since I'm practically being _forced_ to come."

Happy then flew onto Natsu's head, Looking at Lucy with a curious gaze. "You only want 40 percent, Lucy?" Happy asked while chomping on a fish. Someday she'd kill that irritable cat..

"I'm the 60 percent!" She snapped, preparing to chase the feline around the guild.

Natsu grinned "Alright!" He pumped a fist in the air excitedly "Can't wait to beat some bandits!" He cheered as he bolted to Mira, informing her the job had been accepted.

Lucy nearly face palmed at his childishness.

 _ **LATER AT THE TRAIN STATION...**_

"Luuucyyy..." Natsu gurgled, doubling over. Lucy flinched at the sound of her teammate emptying his his stomach on the platform.

She quickly payed for the tickets and boarded the train, leaving Happy to haul Natsu in himself. Lucy rolled her eyes at out picky Happy was being at the moment. Man, couldn't this cat behave for once?

"Natsuuu!" Happy whined "You've got spit all over your face!" Natsu merely gurgled in response as Happy struggled to pull him in the small cabin.

Lucy frowned looking out the window "Natsu, do you still have the job flyer?" She asked as she turned her gaze to the Dragon slayer. Wow, his motion sickness must be worse than I imagined...

Natsu was sprawled out on the floor of the cabin, his face a pale green. Large beads of sweat dripped off his forehead from struggling and vomiting and drool coated the lower portion of his face. He looked utterly horrible. Lucy wasn't sure if all Dragon slayers had motion sickness this bad. She had always assumed Wendy was immune due to her healing magic, and she had never really been with the others on a train before.

Natsu nodded weakly as Happy pulled it from the pocket in his single-sleeved jacket. Lucy thanked the Exceed as he passed the paper to her. Lucy unfolded it slowly as the train began to take off, thus suppressing a surprised and pained gurgle from Natsu.

The flyer read:

 _Help needed!_

 _James Havenworth, Mayor of Acalypha is currently being threatened_

 _by a group of dark mages who call themselves:_

 ** _Black heart_**

 _Their location is near the town, on the ocean end of the map._

 _The mayor remains in his home, locked in from the group._

 _Black heart's exact location is unknown._

 _Please accept within three days of notice._

Lucy frowned. This job seemed to bother her for some reason. Pushing aside the nervousness, Lucy handed the flyer back to Happy.

She looked down at the ill Dragon slayer with sympathy. "Don't you wanna sit down, Natsu?" She asked as Happy perched himself on his shoulder. "Like, on an actual seat?"

Natsu managed to lift his weak head, nodding.

The train suddenly lurched forward, causing the Dragon slayer to gag.

Happy jumped up pulling Natsu onto the seat next to Lucy. As he pulled him onto the seat, he dropped his quickly in attempt to avoid getting spit all over his paws.

Natsu limply fell on his back, dangling off the edge of the seat.

"Happy!" Lucy scolded "Don't drop him! He might throw up again!" She leaned down, pulling him back onto the seat.

Happy frowned "I don't want to smell like Natsu when I'm gonna meet Charle today!" He whined as he pulled out another fish to eat.

Lucy rolled her eyes, ignoring the stubborn cat. Curling up on the seat, she quickly drifted off to sleep, waiting for the end of the train ride.

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 **NORMAL P.O.V.**

Lucy rubbed her eyes, feeling a slight prodding at her shoulder.

She snapped her eyes awake, sitting up. Lucy glanced around, seeing a train attendant jump back in surprise.

"U-um, Miss, the train has stopped." She informed her warily.

Lucy looked to her side, seeing Natsu and Happy asleep on the seat next to her. She turned her attention back to the woman. "Thank you. How long ago did it stop?" She asked, hoping they didn't miss their deadline for the job.

The woman smiled softy, sensing Lucy was in a rush. "Just a few minutes ago. Would you like help with your bags?" She asked kindly.

Lucy shook her head "No, thank you." She smiled as she stood up, stretching. "Thanks for waking me up!" She said happily as she picked up her bag, preparing to wake Natsu and Happy up.

The woman nodded "Have a nice day then, miss." And with that, the attendant left.

Lucy placed her hands on her hips, knowing the exact way to wake the two up.

She bent down, prodding the Dragon slayers drool cover cheek "Natsu! Wake up, we're getting food!" She said in a cheery tone. Lucy jumped back as he and Happy jolted from their seats in excitement.

"WHERE?!" They both yelled, looking around the train cabin.

Lucy nearly face palmed at the sight. She picked up the bags, hauling them outside of the train.

"We're getting some before we meet up with the Mayor, we still have at least an hour before we have to meet up with him." She grunted as she yanked out the last bag.

"Alright!" Natsu cheered "Let's go!" He grinned, running off with Happy, leaving Lucy to carry the bags.

"Urgh..." She growled as she dragged the heavy bags along the sidewalk.

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Lucy looked around, eyeing the restaurant carefully. "Why this place again?" She asked as she sat down in an old booth. The place on the outside appeared decent, but the inside was something else... The main room had a yellowish wallpaper that appeared to be peeling at the edges. The floor was an old wood that was cracked in more place than one. The booths were black, with torn cloth coating them. And the tables were also wood, with many cracks in them as well. Lucy wasn't even sure she wanted to sit on the seat. But Natsu was persistent, saying the was the best chili restaurant in Acalypha, and maybe in all of Fiore.

She curled her lip in disgust at the sight of a large hole in the seat, which was probably made from a mouse... she shivered at the thought of a diseased rodent crawling into her lap while eating.

"Natsu?" She looked down at her menu, which was surprisingly clean and well formatted.

"Hmm?" He glanced at her before returning to the menu, probably preparing to order a butt-load of food.

"Are you sure this place is... sanitary?" She asked reluctantly while gazing at the menu. But before he could answer, the waiter appeared, pulling out his notebook.

"May I take your order?" He asked kindly. Natsu grinned happily.

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Lucy stretched as they walked out of the restaurant. She would never admit this to Natsu, but the food _was_ pretty good. Although she only ordered a garden salad, she wouldn't be able to recall if she had ever eaten anything better.

Natsu glanced around, then turned to face Lucy. "How much time before we meet up with Jam Hailworth?" Natsu asked as Happy perched on his head.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "It's _James Havenworth_ , and about ten minutes. At least his house is right down the block." She said as she turned to walk in the Mayors direction.

Natsu jogged to catch up with her, falling into pace by her side. "Why are 'ya in such a hurry, Luce?" He asked as he folded his hands behind his head.

"I wanna get there early, 'ya know, to make a good impression." She said as she slowly picked up her pace. "Besides, lately every job we've gone on these past two weeks.. well, the clients don't seem to take me seriously. We usually show up late, not by much of course, and everyone seems to look at me like a child. So I wanna change that, and appear serious to ." She placed her hands on her keys for a moment of comfort as they neared the building.

Natsu looked over at her, wondering what she meant by all that. "But you're not a kid, Happy is, but you're not. Besides, all those past clients were a pain. None of them were really nice to any of us." He noted as he slumped an arm around her. She looked up with a smile "Right!"

And just as they finished talking, they appeared at the front door, which was heavily bolted down. "Hmm, they weren't kidding when they said ' _locked in'_." Lucy noted as she raised a hand to knock. She backed away from the door to take in her surroundings, which were amazing.

The front lawn had to have been at _least_ six to seven acres. A tall brick wall surrounded the place, with neatly trimmed hedges along the inside and outside of the walls. The driveway/pathway was probably made from some kind of marble, which is infused with magic so it wont erode over time, and adds a luminous glow at night. The house itself was probably about four to five stories tall. Each floor appeared to have a bay window, with neatly painted wall trim. The exterior wall were made of stucco, which actually looked nice and in place considering the climate and location of the town. The driveway ended in a loop, which allowed you to exit easily. In the center was a lacrima powered fountain, with lacrima lights floating lazily at the top, adding a mysterious, yet beautiful glow.

Just as Lucy finished taking it all in, the door slowly opened, revealing a tall man with neatly cut, blonde shoulder-length hair. He wore a well-fitted business suit with a light blue bow-tie around his neck.

"W-who are you?" He asked, obviously not recalling seeing them before.

Lucy smiled warmly "We're Fairy Tail's mages! We're here to accept the job." She said happily as she gestured to Natsu, Happy, and herself.

The man narrowed his eyes "Show me your guild marks first..." He said reluctantly as the door closed a few inches.

Sensing his worry, Lucy lifted her hand, revealing the pink guild mark. Natsu and Happy stepped forward, revealing theirs as well.

The man noticeably relaxed and opened the door, revealing three guards behind him, standing in an open hallway.

Lucy and Natsu nearly face-planted at the beauty of the house. Neat, dark, polished wood lined the floors and tall, white walls leading up to a vaulted ceiling which was decorated with large crystal chandeliers, with lacrima powered lighting that game the room a warm and cozy glow. To the left, a large doorway stood, revealing a large study room. Columns of books lined the inside of the space, along with candlelit tables. To the room on the right, another large doorway stood, revealing an open living space. The floor was lined with a thick, long rug with dragon-like designs. The edges of the rug appeared to be lined with gold trim. A large, long dark wooden table ran along the side of the room, also lit by candles. Two large french-style windows faced the front yard, letting in plenty of sunlight. Making the room feel open and airy. A few white couches encased the center of the room, with a neat, glass, coffee table between them. And one strangely tall chair sat on front of a separate set of couches.

The mayor ignored their awestruck expressions and led them into the living room. They both sat on a couch, facing James as he sat in a taller chair in front of them, no doubt for intimidation.

Natsu leaned back on the couch nonchalantly as James began to speak.

"So, I'm assuming you all know most of the details of the job, correct?" He asked as he crossed his legs.

"Yes sir." She said firmly while Natsu just nodded. Lucy quickly took note of how James' weak appearance disappeared as he saw he could trust them.

Natsu grinned and lit his palm on fire "Yeah, don't worry old man!" James narrowed his eyes, obviously not used to being addressed so curtly. However, Natsu failed to notice this, like always, and continued speaking "We'll beat them to a pulp when we're done!" Happy jumped up beside him, copying Natsu's motions "To a pulp!" Happy cheered and jumped onto a table.

Lucy sat up straight, determined to look at least semi-formal to the Mayor. "Sir, I apologize for my comrades behavior, but if you don't mind, I'd like to cut to the chase here." She shot a glare at Natsu and Happy before turning back to James.

James nodded thoughtfully, as if pondering on what to do.

After an awkward moment of silence he sat up straight. "Very well then. Let's run over the details before you head off:" He began, taking a breath "The reward is 100,000 Jewels, the group is supposedly located on the southern end of the coastline, and their symbol is just as their name states. A black heart."

Natsu and Happy nodded slowly, as if thinking of something intense. Lucy glanced at them again before gesturing James to continue.

James nodded and spoke "I expect this mission to be completed by the end of this week. No more. If you finish early, then I'll treat you to dinner here." He paused, glancing warily at Natsu and Happy, who were drooling endlessly. " _If_ you complete early." He reminded them, not sure if he should take the offer back or not.

Lucy smiled and stood up, brushing off her skirt. "Thank you for your co-operation. We'll complete the job without fail." She said as Natsu and Happy stood beside her.

James nodded "Good, I expect none less from a guild like yours. Oh, and I want them alive. If you kill _any_ of them, then your reward no longer be waiting for you." He said before leading them to the door.  
"Goodbye." He said plainly as the door closed behind them.

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest. "He was odd. He might've been nicer if you two hadn't acted like baby's from hell.." She shot a glare at the two before walking down the driveway.

Natsu just shrugged as he followed his partner down the driveway. "Yeah, Happy! Why'd 'ya have to act like a baby from hell?" He said, shooting a glare a Happy.

Happy flailed around "Natsuuu! You're so mean!" He sobbed as he flew into Lucy's neck "LUSHI SAVE ME!" He wailed as she glared at the two again.

"Man, you two can't act your age can you?" She scoffed as she stoked the Exceeds furry head, knowing good and well he was fake crying.

Natsu pouted "I _do_ act my age, Lucy! Happy doesn't though..." He crossed his arms, glaring at the now content cat.

Lucy rolled her eyes as she exited the front gate to the house. "Well, it doesn't matter. We should find that _group_ of mages before sundown. I'd really like to get home soon. Acalypha doesn't exactly give me good memories..." Lucy sighed, remembering her fathers death.

Sensing his partners dreary mood, Natsu slumped an arm around her shoulders. "Let's try and finish this job fast! I wanna eat dinner at Jams' house!" He grinned as Happy sat on his shoulder, sucking on a fish.

Lucy smiled back and nodded. "It's James, but I think you should keep calling him that. Especially when we meet him again! I kind of wanna see him flustered. It'd be fun after how he acted." She laughed a little at Natsu's expression. His face was twisted in a thoughtful way, but his nose was scrunched up like he just smelled something bad.

Lucy couldn't help but laugh. Natsu never appeared like he was thinking, so this was a bit odd.

Natsu grinned "Okay! And I'll keep calling you Luigi!" He ruffled her hair and ran up ahead.

Lucy raised a fist "IT'S LUCY!" She yelled, trying to contain her smile. Goodness, Natsu sure is weird..

 _ **LATER AT ACALYPHA PORT...**_

 _ **LUCY'S P.O.V.**_

I looked around the port, expecting to see a huge flag with a black heart on it. Guess what..?

Natsu and I nearly dropped to our knees in astonishment at the complete and utter stupidity of the mages.

There it was, standing tall and proud in the middle of one of Fiore's busiest ports, the Black Heart flag.

Natsu grinned at me lighting his hands on fire in excitement. I couldn't help but grin back as I pulled out my Fleuve d'étoiles and gate keys. But my smile faltered as I felt the empty spot of where Aquarius' key used to be. ' _I have to be strong. That's what she'd want for me... And I can't risk telling Natsu, or the guild that it was me who sacrificed Aquarius to Summon the Celestial Spirit King, to destroy Cube and Alegria...'_

Natsu tilted his head, sensing my discomfort.

"You okay, Luce?" He asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

I looked up, shaking my head. "I'm fine. Now let's go kick butt!" I cheered, putting on a smile for my comrade.

Natsu grinned "Alright! Let's go, Lucy, Happy!"

"Aye sir!" Happy grinned, lifting Natsu into the air, hoping to avoid motion sickness.

Lucy shook her head as she followed the two to the boat.

The boat itself wasn't very nice. It was a small, wooden boat with chipped edges, due to erosion and aging. It's not like one of those row boats, but not exactly a yacht either. The boat was about two floors, the second one acting as a basement. A small ledge was posted in the center of the boat, which held the steering wheel, and the mast. The front of the boat had a large structure, of what appeared to be their symbol.

I wasn't sure if this was a guild or not, since the job flyer and James had called it a 'Group'. But I ignored that thought as I neared the boat. I crept along the side, ducking behind a barrel swiftly. ' _Hah! This training really paid off... I can't wait to get into battle!'_ Lucy face palmed ' _Great, I sound like Natsu now.'_ She blushed a bit at the thought, but pushed it aside.

' _Great, so I get to face them first?'_ She thought as the sound of approaching footsteps and voices reached her ears. To be exact, it was only three people. Nothing I can't handle.

And without a second thought, I jumped out behind the barrel, igniting my Fleuve d'étoiles. "Loke!" I called, swinging the golden key in the air.

Within a second, Loke was by my side reaching for my hand. "I see you're looking lovely today, Miss Lucy!" He smiled, completely oblivious to the situation.

I pulled back my whip as the men drew near "Loke, now's not the time!" I shouted as I swiped the nearest of the men with my whip. ' _I'll have to learn to conserve magic energy,'_ I thought as the man dodged my strike ' _I should go into melee before they cast whatever spells they have.'_ And with that, I dropped my whip to my side, closing Loke's gate without a word. I charged forward, taking the group by surprise. I quickly crouched down, swinging my leg to the left, knocking over the smallest. Rolling forward, I got on my feet in time to dodge a back stab attempt **(A/N Back stab attempts aren't necessarily with anything sharp. It is when your opponent is down and vulnerable and open for attack. Got it from d &d, so nothing super original..)**. Turning quickly to face the group again, the first one just now began recovering from his fall. I smirked, seeing my attacks were effective. ' _Better hurry before Natsu shows up...'_ I didn't waste a second before attacking the next one. I clenched my fist tightly, bracing for impact. I swung my fist as fast as it would go, right into the opponents mouth. I hissed bitterly at the stinging sensation, which was clearly a bite mark. The man dropped down, blood spraying face face and coating my hand. To my surprise, the man went unconscious. I risked a second to glance at him, and my hand. Blood was streaming down the side of his mouth, and a few teeth were clearly knocked out.

Big mistake.

The second I readied myself to attack again, a searing pain shot through my arm. Staggering back, I felt the bone in my arm twist and crack. I sneered in disgust, pain and anger towards the man grinning like an idiot before me. ' _I'm overreacting, this isn't bad at all! Just surprising.'_ I nearly laughed, which seemed to confuse them. "What 're 'ya laughing at, Blondie?" The man shot a glare at me. I frowned at him, my expression turning fierce. "It's _Lucy_." I snapped "And you. You're what I'm laughing at." I cracked an evil grin, hoping to provoke them enough to drive them blind by anger. I stretched my arm out, the bones cracking as I placed it back into socket. The men flinched in disgust at the repulsive sound. "It was only dislocated, you scum." I stretched my arm out, making sure it was fine. I'm not sure why I decided to act this way, maybe because of the confidence my new fighting skills have given me.

Without a second thought, I charged forward with my fist raised, punching the man the exact same way as the other one. To my surprise, yes _again_ , the man fell unconscious next to his comrade. The stinging wasn't as bad as the last punch, but it still left a mark. Pushing the rest of my thoughts aside, I decided to take on the last man of the group. "How come you're not using magic?" I asked, hoping he would answer me instead of fight for the moment.

He narrowed his eyes at me "How come you aren't using yours?" He cleverly snapped back, taking me by surprise.

I put my hands on my hips "Because, it wouldn't be fair for me to use magic when you fight barehanded." I stated simply.

The man laughed "Then I see no harm in telling you why. Me and these two," He gestured to the bloodied men on the ground "We're guards." He finished as if he had just cleared everything up.

I frowned "That's not a real answer..." I pouted, hoping he'd continue explaining.

He crouched in a fighting position and charged. Thankfully I was prepared. I mean, you can't always expect your enemy to co-operate with you...

I ran forward to meet his attack, and at the last second, I slid under his attacking arm, narrowly dodging it. He growled in frustration and turned to attack again. I repeated the process, but instead, I met his attack head-on.

Our fists collided momentarily, the man wailing in pain as his wrist made an unpleasant cracking sound. He stumbled back, grasping his wrist.

I quickly took advantage of his open position, and pulled out a small throwing knife. I aimed carefully, only hoping to cause immobility.

The man squirmed as he saw what I was doing.

I took his split second of stiffness as my advantage and threw the small knife at his lower thigh. The man yelled, collapsing onto the ground.

I quickly ran over to him, hoping I didn't hit anything major. I sighed in relief as I saw the bleeding was minimal. But the wound was just enough to temporarily render him immobile. "Stay still." I demanded as I reached for the knife with shaky hands. ' _Crap, crap, CRAP! I've never done anything like this before...'_ I sucked in a breath as I gently placed my hands on the knife.

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 _ **NATSU'S P.O.V. (Other side of the boat)**_

I quickly blasted down the last of the group. Now to find the leader. ' _I wonder how Lucy's doing..'_ I thought as I sniffed the air. _Blood._ Not Lucy's blood, thank God. But someone else... about two other different scents of blood filled my nose as well. I frowned, gesturing for Happy to follow the scent.

Happy looked down at me "Natsu, what's wrong?" He asked as he lifted my higher into the air. I'm glad I brought him with me, otherwise I'd be dead with motion sickness right now.

I glanced around "Hmm..." I sniffed the air once more, finally finding the direction of the scent. "Happy! Go that way!" I ordered, pointing to the opposite end of the boat.

"Aye sir!" Happy said as he flew me to the end of the boat.

As we drew near, a piercing scream filled the air. I clamped my hands over my sensitive ears, then quickly motioned for Happy to rush froward.

When we finally reached the edge of the boat, the scene before us was shocking. "LUCY!" I yelled as Happy dropped me next to her. Despite the growing motion sickness, I managed to hold it back for the time being. "Lucy! Are you okay?!" I looked around, seeing the blood. It wasn't much, but it was enough to startle you. Thankfully the blood on Lucy's arms didn't belong to her.

I frowned as she ignored me. "Lucy, what happened?" I asked, feeling a bit nervous as I saw the unconscious group on the ground.

Lucy looked up "Nothing important! Did you find the leader?" She asked, mustering up a weak smile.

I shook my head. "No, I don't think he's even on the ship, bu-" Before I could finish, the boat lurched, causing me to gag. I ran to the railing, prepared to vomit.

"Wow Natsu!" Happy flew next to me. "You were so worried about Lucy, that you forgot to vomit?!" He exclaimed, waving his fish around.

I crossed my arms and buried my face in my scarf, hoping to hide my blush. "No! The... blood scared me... tha-" I drooped over the railing, vomiting again.

I glanced over to see Lucy tearing off the top part of her socks to use as bandages. "Wha-" Suddenly I was interrupted by a deep voice that seemed to echo around us.

"Well!" The voice began "I see you've found my... henchmen?" The voice asked, then suddenly a figure swept around the the front of the ship. It was a tall man with a long cloak that whipped around him in an ominous way. "I didn't think they'd last very long." He said as he eyed Lucy. "Well, I didn't think you'd last either. But, you managed to surprise me!" He held out his hands in a welcoming manner. Then his face grew solemn.

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"Daughter of Layla Heartfilia."

 **Aaaannd that's it for now!**

 **Don't forget to leave a review! I'm really curious on how I did!**

 **I'm not sure all chapters will be this long, but I'll try my hardest!**

 **If there are any typos please let me know. My beta reader is currently unavailable and it is well past midnight.**

 **Thank you!**


	2. Authors note: PLEASE READ

**Hello everyone, I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a long time. I don't know when I'll be able to post next either.**

 **Unfortunately I have pneumonia, and I've had it since I posted chapter one. I've recently received some antibiotics and they're helping a lot.**

 **I believe I'll be able to post the next chapter soon since I'm feeling a little better.**

 **I'm so sorry that this isn't an actual chapter, but it's quite hard to write on an iPad, and my laptop isn't working right now, which is quite a big delay.**

 **I hope you all aren't sick or anything, and that you have a great day!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone. I am so incredibly sorry for not posting sooner. My condition changed to three illnesses. Strep throat, bronchitis, and pneumonia. I'm getting much better now and I'm SUPER eager to sort things out and write again.**

 **Anyway, here's chapter two!**

 **Normal P.O.V.**

The man thrusted out his long, sleek hand and muttered a few inaudible words under his breath. A bright blue light engulfed his hand and began to emit a strange crackling sound. Lucy tilted her head in confusion as the man turned to face her.

He flexed his fingers thoughtfully before speaking.

"I suppose I'll take it easy on you… after all, I _can_ kill you both in one blast." He slipped in a sinister grin as he spoke, adding to the suspense and fear.

Natsu lunged forward, clenching his fist angrily. "What do you think you're saying?! We're way stronger than you! There's no way we're going down that easily!" He yelled as he lit his fist on fire in a challenging manner.

Lucy pursed her lips. "Natsu, calm down. Can't you sense the magic power coming from this man?" She asked, her tone firm.

Natsu frowned, scrunching up his nose slightly.

"It doesn't matter, does it? We can take him out easily!"

The man cleared his throat, reminding them he was still there.

"I highly doubt that you can do that. After all, I am one of the best mages in the world." He said as he smiled bitterly. "At least the girl has some sense. Unlike you…" he finished as he sneered at Natsu.

Natsu clenched his fist "That's because Lucy's smart! Much smarter than you!" Natsu yelled as he jumped forward, his fist aflame.

Lucy's breath hitched before taking notice of the situation. "Natsu!" She yelled as he charged the mysterious man head on.

He sighed, and with a flick of his hand, he sent Natsu flying.

Happy squeaked fearfully, darting forward to catch the limp dragon slayer.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled "Are you okay?!" She immediately ran over to his side, only to notice the motion sickness had kicked in.

He gave a weak thumbs up before turning over to wretch.

Lucy cringed at her friends suffering. "Can you help him Happy?" She asked.

"Aye sir!" Happy said as he picked up Natsu, flying him above the boat to recover safely.

Lucy nodded to herself before sucking in a breath. "Who are you?" She repeated the question from earlier.

The man merely sighed.

"My, my." He said as he shook his head disdainfully. "It seems you're only interested in talking... Well, I guess I'll fix that." He grinned evilly as he launched forward, taking Lucy by surprise.

She yelped in shock as she fell backwards, quickly realizing that he was only toying with her.

Lucy stood up quickly, turning to glare at him. "Fine, I guess we'll fight." She growled as she darted forward, faster than her last fight.

She readied her fist as she came close to contact.

Right before her fist collided with his face, the mans form seemed to evaporate before disappearing completely.

As Lucy whipped her head around, she was quickly met with a sly grin.

"You shouldn't have done that." He said before slamming his fist into the center of her chest, rendering her breathless.

Lucy stumbled back, groaning in pain.

"Oh?" He stepped forward, examining the weakened mage curiously "That hurt you that badly?" He asked mockingly.

Lucy shot a glare at him before summoning her Sagittarius Star Dress.

His eyes widened in amusement as she ran toward he higher end of the boat.

He stayed back, feeling no need to follow the girl.

As Lucy reached the top of the mast of the boat. "Perfect..." She muttered under her breath as she pulled her golden bow back. She carefully aimed it at his feet, in attempt to do what she had done to the other man before.

Render him immobile

' _If I'm correct, then he should teleport slightly to the east,'_ She thought as she looked at the direction his feet were facing. ' _But it's always going to be a gamble no matter where I shoot, so I better shoot now.'_ And with that finial thought, she pulled the arrow back.

The man smirked, disappearing once again.

At the last second, she changed the direction of her aim. Firing the arrow right in the spot where the man now stood.

His eyes widened in sock as the arrow landed in his leg with a wet _'thump_ '. He looked up at Lucy, with an expression of pure rage. One that rivaled the king of the underworld.

Lucy quickly jumped from the mast, landing safely.

The man walked forward, lacking a limp in his step. "You'll regret this, _Lucy_ _."_ He laughed and disappeared in a puff of blue smoke.

( **A.N.: Got my computer fixed! Now I can write faster! The iPod sucked to write on lol...)**

She slowly walked to the area where the man disappeared. Seeing it clear, she ran off to find Natsu and Happy.

"Happy? Natsu?" She called out as she scouted around.

"LUUUSHI!" She turned to see Happy fly right into her face, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Happy! Is Natsu okay?" She asked, feeling concerned for her teammate.

Happy nodded, fluttering back. "I left him on the docks to watch!"

Lucy stared at the Exceed in surprise. "You mean you didn't watch him while I was here?" She asked, trying to get the situation straight.

Happy nodded "You were awesome, Lucy!" The cat grinned and flew around before continuing "But couldn't you have tried to stop him?" He asked innocently.

Lucy gritted her teeth, balling up her fists. "I _tried,_ you stupid cat!" She growled as she reached out for his whiskers.

Before Lucy could reach Happy, he had flown over the side of the boat, hovering just above the water. She walked over to see what was going on.

"Natsu?" Lucy looked down at him as Happy struggled to pull him out.

Natsu gave a huge, toothy grin. "That was awesome, Lucy!" He gave her a quick thumbs up before being lifted onto the boat.

Lucy turned her face in attempt to hide her blush. She wouldn't deny that it felt good to be praised since she felt she was the weakest of the team.

Happy hovered Natsu over the boat, trying to keep him from throwing up.

"Oh yeah," Happy began "What are you wearing, Lucy? I don't remember you coming in with a bow." He pointed out.

Natsu studied her outfit carefully, as if just now noticing she had changed. "Yeah, where did that come from?" He asked, joining Happy on the questioning.

Lucy stopped and quickly remembered that they haven't seen her Star Dress forms yet. She decided to bluff about it for now, assuming the two would be to dense to sense the magic power radiating from the Dress.

"Oh, this?" She said as she lifted her bow and glanced at her Dress.

They nodded.

She hesitated for a moment. "I, u-uh... I found it right after you left. It was in better shape than my last outfit, and was clearly more suited for battle." She said, forgetting to add _how_ she changed into it when an angry opponent was near.

They both nodded thoughtfully, as if listening to a lecture about fish and fire.

Lucy waited for their response nervously.

Natsu was the first to speak up "Well, alright! Let's get some food, I'm starving!"

"Aye!" Happy grinned as he flew Natsu over to the dock.

Lucy smiled, following after them.

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"Natsu!" Lucy yelled as they left the restaurant. "You scared the poor waiter off!"

Natsu laughed "Sorry 'bout that!" He said as Happy perched himself on his shoulder.

"Natsu!" Happy scolded "Because of you, I didn't get any fish!" He flew over to Lucy, pouting on her shoulder.

Lucy shrugged "Well, I guess it's over now. At least it's not like we're banned from the place." Lucy sighed as she patted Happy's head absentmindedly.

Natsu and Happy nodded simultaneously. "Yeah." They both muttered as they approached the entrance to the inn.

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Lucy sighed as she stretched out on her bed, savoring the last few hours of privacy she'd have for a while.

Her room was actually pretty nice, and she assumed Natsu and Happy had the same format and style.

The ceiling was about eleven feet up, with a lacrima powered pendant light in the center of the small room. The light gave off a warm glow, creating the perfect atmosphere for relaxing. She had a fairly large bed, with thick woolen blankets and feather pillows to snuggle comfortably in.

The bathroom was about the size of the main room, which came to Lucy's surprise.

The bathtub could fit a few people in it, in a rough measurement. And the floors appeared to be lightly enchanted stone. The floors seemed to be heated, much to Lucy's delight, and there were several amenities to use later that day.

She placed her bag next to her bed in attempt to make sure everything was neat and organized.

"Finally, some sleep!" She mumbled as she changed into her pajamas. She flopped onto the bed, not bothering to unfold the blankets. And within seconds of her head hitting the pillow, she had fallen asleep.

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 **I am so insanely sorry for not posting in over 3 weeks! I can't even put it into words!**

 **I've been thinking about the fic the entire time I was sick, and I just felt so guilty about not posting sooner. I tried to start again when my eyes stopped aching, but then my computer wouldn't work.**

 **But I got it fixed today, and now I can update sooner.**

 **I still don't have a schedule planned, but I want to try at least once every week or two. Even if I don't post soon like I hope, just know I've been working on it!**

 **Please leave a review! They make so happy and I would love to hear your opinion.**

 **Don't be shy! I also want to be criticized in areas where I need help!**

 **Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Oh my goodness! Over 500 views already?! :') Thank you! The reviews made me so happy, I literally ran around the house giggling. (Now I sound like a madman sorry (0-0;)) I really appreciate the encouragement, and as a thank you to all my lovely readers, I'm going to add some fluff-fluff in this chapter!**

 **DISCLAIMER! I do not own Fairy Tail, or the characters. Only this fic.**

Lucy woke up to the sound of rustling, which was odd to her.

She sat up in the bed, clutching the blankets to her chest. She quickly rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, peeking over the side of the bed.

As she looked down, she could clearly see her rather large bag wiggling in a strange way. Lucy quickly looked around for her Keys, only to face palm in frustration. The Keys were in her bag, of course.

She crept to the other side of the bed, not taking her eyes off her bag.

"EEP!" Lucy shrieked as she fell off the bed with a loud thud. To her dismay, Natsu and Happy were probably already at the breakfast bar, stuffing their faces with donuts, and not there to help her.

She growled at her stupid thoughts. "I can help _myself._ " She grumbled as she sat up, brushing the dust off her skirt.

Lucy slowly approached the bag, and began to prod at it with her foot.

The bag twitched, resulting in Lucy leaping onto the bed for safety. "Think about my Keys..." She mumbled as she gained the courage to approach it again.

This time, she pressed her hand gently on the handle, then ripped the bag open as quickly as she could.

Her Keys fell to the floor with a metallic "cling", and her clothes were scattered across the room from the force of her pull.

Lucy looked around frantically as she tried to decide where to go and look.

As she made her way to her Keys, a small lacrima rolled out from underneath the dresser, where it might've fallen.

Lucy jumped back in surprise as the lacrima began to float and analyze her features.

"W-what is this?" She whispered as she took a step forward, seeing as the lacrima wasn't making any move to advance on her.

The reddish-brown orb floated back a few feet, allowing Lucy to see her full reflection in the well polished lacrima.

A small dot from the center of the orb began to glow a bright orange, leaving Lucy in a state of fear.

She quickly turned to duck behind the bed, but instead she turned to grab her Keys.

Lucy lunged forward, her Keys now a few feet from her grasp. But as soon as she landed and grabbed her Keys, a small needle-like object protruded from the glowing part of the lacrima. It oozed with a thick, blue liquid that hissed and sizzled as it hit the ground.

Lucy fumbled around, trying to grab a single Key. "Gate of the Lio-" She was abruptly cut off as the needle injected itself into her neck.

She fell to the ground with a loud "thump", her Keys falling uselessly to her side. (my dog just farted) To her surprise, she wasn't falling asleep. Instead, she was numb all over. ' _This must be paralysis...'_ She thought as she tried to move. _'Let's just hope that's all that thing will do...'_

Just as she looked over to the lacrima, it began to slowly advance, with small clips at its sides.

She wanted to scream, scream so loud that she'd be heard all the way to the guild. But she couldn't. She was paralyzed and useless, right?

Right.

She could feel her magic power sapping away, leaving Loke and Virgo unable to pass through the spirit world forcefully.

The lacrima lowered itself to her side, allowing the clips to grasp her by the collar of her shirt. It lifted her quickly, and began to pull her out the window.

 _'Crap! This isn't good. I have to find a way out...'_ She struggled to move, but could only get a few twitches. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized how far away she had already gotten from the inn. A lump formed in her throat, causing her to have trouble breathing.

The poison had paralyzed her entire body, including a few minor organs. Technically, she should be dead. But the power from her Star Dress form from yesterday had formed a small protective shield around her body. However, that didn't mean she'd be safe from everything. It's simply keeping her organs from stopping completely, and making sure all vitals are running somewhat smoothly. Lucy knew this, and also knew it wouldn't last very long. But she also didn't know how long the paralysis would last either.

Her eyelids began to droop, then close as the inn faded in the distance. _'At least I'm still conscious...'_ She thought as her surroundings went black. _'Where's Natsu when you need him? Oh right, he's always there! I just didn't need him earlier, right?'_

Her fingers began to tingle, and the sensation of air blowing on her body began to fade in. She gasped for air, now realizing how little she was getting.

She slowly opened her eyes, instantly regretting it the moment her vision cleared.

She was obviously a few hundred feet in the air.

Lucy felt her stomach drop as she also realized she was being held by two small metal clips. ' _What the hell am I doing up here?!'_ Her mind screamed as she tried to remain still.

An idea popped in her head as she glanced at the lacrima-robot thing.

She quickly noticed the lack of weight where her Keys should be, but tried to ignore it for the time being.

' _I just hope this works...'_ She thought as she jerked to the side, now facing the lacrima. Lucy snatched the metal clips, and yanked them out.

The lacrima stopped suddenly, and began to shudder as cracks formed in the crystal.

With wide eyes and a racing heart, she let go of the lacrima.

Lucy closed her eyes as tight as she could as she fell. Above her, she could hear the lacrima exploding. The aura of the magic power was almost shocking as it exploded.

She fell quickly, and she could almost sense the ground coming near her. She prepared for impact, yet it never came. She peeked open her eyes, only to be blinded by the sun, and engulfed in extreme cold. Everything after that was darkness.

Complete, cold and utter darkness.

 **Natsu and Happy POV:**

Natsu grinned from ear to ear as he shoved one last doughnut into his mouth. And as usual, Happy was complaining about needing some fish.

"Natsu! Why didn't they have fish?" Happy puffed up angrily.

Natsu glanced over at his furry friend and shrugged "'Guess they don't think about what ya want?" He said as he placed his hands of the back of his head. "Let's go bring Lucy her food! I'm sure she likes sweets, right Happy?"

"Aye! Lucy sure sleeps late." Happy chirped. "I wonder if she's awake yet."

Natsu nodded "Yeah, it would've been way more fun if Lucy ate with us, though..." He sighed as they turned around the corner, nearing her room.

Happy giggled "You liiiiiike her!"

Natsu make a choking sound before blushing madly "Of course I do! We're friends, Happy!" He quickly turned his face away to hide his blush.

Happy giggled again as they turned to face her door. "Let's go give her the greasy food!" Happy cheered as he reached for the doorknob.

Natsu paled "Wait, Happy!" He gently pulled his partner back.

"What, Natsu?" Happy whined. "Are you scared?" He teased.

Natsu turned away, tugging at his scarf. "W-we can't just _walk in there..."_

Happy laughed "Natsu! We always walk in there! She's our friend!" He poked his arm playfully.

Natsu growled defiantly, but quickly gave in. "Fine! Just stop ranting about fish flavors!"

Happy smirked, then opened the door. "LUSHII!" He cheered as he barged in.

Natsu hung back, but quickly darted in, noticing the lack of Lucy's presence. "Lucy?" He called curiously. He looked in the bathroom, half expecting to get slapped. To his surprise, and dismay, Lucy wasn't there.

He walked to the bed, now noticing her clothes strewn everywhere. His eyes widened is fear as the scent of something unusual lingered in the room. It was an older scent, only by an hour or two. He also noticed that Lucy's scent was faint as well.

"Happy!" He yelled as his partner poked his head out from the bathroom.

As if understanding immediately, Happy flew forward and grabbed onto the collar of his jacket, and darted out the window.

"That way!" Natsu pointed towards a lush, green forest. The scent of Magic Waste was heavy in the area, but thankfully it wasn't from Lucy. Natsu followed her scent down into the forest, and quickly landed on the ground in an open area.

(That's what I'm calling Magic Power that isn't in any form or being. Like, just floating there, dissolving into space. Don't judge :'l)

"Lucy..." Happy whined as they looked around frantically.

Natsu looked around the area, noticing Lucy's scent faded around a clear pond.

He ran over to the ponds shore, waiting for the worst.

As he looked over the edge, and into the water, he could see a faint, pale form, drifting slowly in the water.

His stomach dropped, and without a second thought, he dove in. The water was dark, cold, and murky. He was a little surprised that the cold got to him, since he's a fire mage and all... But he couldn't even imagine how Lucy is feeling right now. She must be really cold. ' _I'll warm her up though! She'll be fine. She always pulls through!'_ He thought as he finally wrapped his arms around the limp, cold form. Without sparing a glance at her, he swam up as fast as he could.

As he swam to shore, he gently placed Lucy on the grass. Happy flew up in tears, and began to poke Lucy's arm.

"Lushi?" He sniffled as he poked her more urgently.

Natsu was in shock at the way she looked.

Lucy's skin was ghostly white, with blue lips and fingers. Her hair was matted, with shards of crystals in it. There were deep cuts along her arms and legs, and her clothes were patched with blood.

Natsu began to panic, since he wasn't used to seeing his partner in this state. His hands were trembling as he reached for her hand, in attempt to feel her pulse. He almost immediately stopped shaking as badly as he was. He was so relieved to know she was alive.

As he snapped out of his thoughts, he quickly began to make a fire. Happy flew off in search of wood and food, and had already been gone for an hour.

Natsu placed his palms on Lucy's cold arms, and gradually increased the heat of his hands to an acceptable temperature. He could now notice her breathing, and her skin was slowly turning back to normal.

Natsu's eyes began to grow heavy as he waited for Happy to return. And without knowing it, he had fallen asleep next to Lucy.

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 **The next day**

 **Normal POV**

Happy woke up with a yawn, immediately standing up in search of some fish. As he walked around, he stumbled across a sight that everyone at the guild would've loved.

Natsu and Lucy were sleeping soundly, in each others arms. Natsu had been snoring, so Happy was surprised that hadn't woken Lucy. Lucy, on the other hand, was quietly sleeping, with a faint smile on her lips.

Happy giggled maniacally as he approached the two sleeping mages.

"Lushii!" He prodded the said mages arm gently. She stirred slightly, peeking and eye open at the cat.

Happy giggled and pointed at Natsu, who miraculously stopped snoring like a bear.

Lucy looked over and nearly jumped out of her skin. "W-what the hell?!" She screeched as she jumped up, not noticing the pain from the cuts she had received.

Natsu rolled over lazily, then sat up with a yawn. Lucy's face was several shades of red as she glared at the groggy fire mage.

Natsu perked up a bit, excited to see Lucy up and back to her normal self. "Oh! Morning, Lucy!" He grinned from ear to ear, unaware of the situation.

Happy giggled again "In loooove!" He pointed at Lucy and quickly flew above her head, just out of reach to annoy her.

Natsu stopped grinning, and stared at Lucy's cuts. "Oi, you okay to be standin' up like that?" He asked, pointing at her cuts.

Lucy stopped what she was doing, and looked at her arms and legs. And the delayed pain quickly returned, as if on Que. She yelped in pain as she stumbled to the ground. "What the hell happened to me?" She asked, clearly in pain, and annoyed at the lack of information.

Natsu ran over to her side, helping her sit comfortably. "I dunno! We just found you here after following your scent since you weren't in your room." He said as he helped set her down on a bed of grass.

Happy flew over with some fish. "I got us some breakfast!" He chirped. "It'll make you feel better, Lucy!" He said as he handed her a raw fish.

Natsu took the fish, seeing she hesitated to take it raw, and quickly cooked it. "Here ya' go!" He said with a grin as he handed her the fish.

Lucy smiled back "Thanks." She picked at the scales, and slowly put small pieces of the meat in her mouth.

Natsu walked with Happy over behind a tree as she ate.

"Happy, she smells different." He said in a worried tone.

Happy looked up at him "Aye! She smells like fish!" Natsu glanced back at Lucy, a slight blush covered his cheeks.

Lucy was surrounded by a few small, harmless animals. A few perched on her shoulders, and a few were snuggling in her lap. She was clearly happy, and the way she looked at the animals would make anyone's heart melt.

Happy smirked, noticing his partner was staring. "You liiiike her!" He purred as he poked his shoulder.

Natsu choked and turned to glare at Happy "How much are you gonna say that?"

Happy grinned "Until you get married!" He cheered and flew up to sit on Natsu's head.

Natsu blushed a few shades of red before remembering why he dragged Happy out here in the first place. "Happy, Lucy doesn't _just_ smell like a fish. I think that's the food you gave her."

Happy nodded seriously "Then what?" He asked, clearly confused by his partners behavior.

Natsu shrugged "I can't put my finger on it. She just smells _different._ " He said. Happy looked around "Let's go back to Lucy and talk to her!" He suggested. Natsu nodded "Yeah, we probably should."

As they turned to walk back to their little "base", their jaws dropped at the sight.

"Where the hell is Lucy?!" Natsu yelled, flailing his arms in panic. Happy picked him up quickly "Calm down, you're acting like you're married to her."

Natsu sputtered before calming down. "W-we're not married." He said as he crossed his arms defiantly.

Happy giggled before flying up. "Lucy's up here. I saw her climb up!" He chirped as he sat Natsu on a thick tree branch.

The place before them was huge. Branches intertwined to create a floor, and vines hung above them. Rays of sunlight peeked trough the gaps in the leafs, and dotted on the floor to create a sort of lighting in the dim treehouse. The area they saw probably expanded across the entire forest, creating the perfect hideout, and easy travel.

Lucy was a few meters away, looking around, not yet noticing Happy and Natsu.

"Wow... Is this what you wanted to show me?" They could hear Lucy ask.

Natsu frowned, not liking the fact that Lucy ran off with someone that could be a total pervert.

Lucy smiled and laughed in a way that instantly made Natsu blush. He shook his head quickly as he walked over to her.

"Yes! It's amazing!" She said right as she turned to see Natsu practically running to her. She yelped and ducked away, startled by the sudden appearance of her teammate.

"Are you okay? Who're you talking to? What does he want? Why'd he take you here?" He asked in a blur, causing Lucy to blink.

Natsu looked around, seeing nobody but Lucy and Happy. "Huh?" He looked around "Did he run away?"

Lucy face palmed. "Natsu... It's a 'she'. And I'm fine. She brought me here to show me this place, and that's it." She said as she placed her hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"That's right!"

A tiny voice squeaked from behind Lucy.

Both Natsu and Happy froze, not expecting this in any way.

A small squirrel-like creature peeked out from Lucy's shoulder.

Natsu burst into laughter, then froze again. "Huh?" He stood there, dumbfounded.

Happy flew over and poked at the small creature. It had purplish-red fur, with light brown stripes. It's paws were bigger than its face, and its eyes were large and green. Overall, the creature was strange, including the fact that it had three tails.

Natsu tilted his head "What's that?" He pointed at the creature.

Lucy sighed "She's a Rust Mouse. A unique creature to these parts. Honestly! I thought you'd remember learning about them!" She puffed her cheeks.

Natsu twisted his face in attempt to bring the memories to the surface. "Ahhh... Nope! Can't remember. Sorry Lucy!" He laughed and patted her head.

Happy looked at Lucy. "Natsu says you smell different." He pointed at her "What did you do, Lucy?" Happy shouted accusingly.

Natsu sputtered "H-Happy! We can't just bring it up like that!" He pulled the Exceed away from Lucy's face.

She blinked a few times, before sending the Rust Squirrel off. "I don't know what you're talking about. But we should probably head back to the inn. I need some fresh clothes..." She shivered in disgust at how revealing her current outfit was. It was basically a white nightgown that was torn everywhere, but was just barely covering her up.

Natsu, having just realized this, turned away as quickly as he could. He quickly gave her his vest, and allowed her to change in private.

"Thanks..." She blushed before walking behind a wall of leaves and vines.

Natsu blushed and jumped down from the treehouse. Happy followed quickly.

"What was that about?" Happy asked, trying to stifle a giggle.

Natsu turned away from his companion. "I'm not gonna let anyone see her like that!" He said stubbornly.

Happy giggle "Yeah, so nobody will take her from you." He teased, punching at his shoulder playfully.

Natsu buried his face in his scarf as Lucy climbed down from the treehouse. "Okay, I'm ready! Let's go." She said as she jogged toward Natsu and Happy.

Happy flew up to Lucy "Wow, Lucy! You look good in that! Right, _Natsu?_ " He said.

Natsu and Lucy immediately knew what Happy was up to. So in their response, they turned away shyly.

"I-I guess..." Natsu rubbed his head. "But Lucy's right. We need to get back to the inn."

Lucy nodded approvingly. Natsu spun around to face her "What happened to your cuts?" He asked frantically.

Lucy smiled "The Rust Squirrel healed them. Only partially though, so I'll have to take it easy." She stated simply.

Natsu nodded "Good. Happy, pick Lucy up so she wont get hurt!" He pointed at the exceed in a commanding, yet clumsy manner.

"Aye sir!" Happy cheered as he picked up Lucy. Natsu looked over at Lucy "Try not to be too heavy on Happy, okay?" He grinned as he began to walk.

Lucy tensed up in Happy's little arms. "I'm not HEAVY!" She yelled before wiggling around in Happy's grasp, in attempt to break free.

Natsu turned to see Lucy flopping around clumsily, clearly trying to break free. "Oi! Be careful, Lucy!" He waved, preparing to catch her.

"I _'_ m not heavy!" She whined as she continued to try to break free. Happy sighed "No, Lucy you're not! But you are if you keep wiggling like that!" He said as he tried to keep his paws on the collar of the vest. Natsu nodded in agreement as they walked to the inn.

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 **I am so insanely sorry! I know you're probably like: "Excuses, excuses..."**

 **But I have a lot going on. I just signed up for soccer so I have to train, I have a lot more school,**

 **and a few family issues. I really appreciate you guys being patient with me, so I made this chapter a little longer. :')**

 **Thank you! Please leave a review!**

 **(Follow me on Instagram milliepop_**

 **I might give a few planned release dates for chapters there)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Yay! I'm finally eating healthier! (I was never FAT o0o) It turns out that coconut strips are amazing for when you're nervous!**

 **Yes, I am nervous. And I am eating them right, freaking, now. I just wanna say that regular chapters are going to be at least 2,500+ words long. Special chapters will be over 3,500-4,000+ words long. I think I'll work mostly on the weekends, since I'm quite busy. But I really do try! :'D**

 **DISCLAIMER! HIRO MASHIMA OWNS FAIRY TAIL!**

 **SADLY, I DO NOT!**

 **Enjoy! 3**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Normal POV**

Lucy grumbled as Happy poked her shoulder repeatedly. Happy seemed to like doing that lately...

Lucy bolted up, rage burning in her eyes. "WHAT. Do. You. Want?" She asked angrily. Apparently, Lucy slept a lot. Even though Natsu and Happy always thought she was the early one.

Natsu grinned "We wanted to eat breakfast with you!" He said before plopping down next to Lucy. Happy looked up at her, then burst into a fit of giggles. "L-Lussshhiii!" He laughed as he pointed at her face. "Y-You look a-all m-messed up!" He laughed before rolling off the bed.

Lucy frowned, then looked in the mirror. Her hair was in tangles, yet it was still soft. Her night clothes were baggy and slipping off her shoulder (Which she quickly fixed), and drool was dripping off her lips in a slow, disgusting, 80's-tv-commercial way.

She yelped before darting in the bathroom in attempt to clean herself up a bit.

Natsu watched as she ran into the bathroom with curiosity. "Oi, Happy. She seemed scared, should I check on her?" He asked. Not even thinking about what she was doing.

Happy shrugged "Maybe, but wouldn't she kill you?" Natsu shivered in horror "Yeah, probably. She can be as scary as Erza sometimes..." He broke into a sweat just thinking about the wrath of terror the warrior mage could bring onto people.

It took a few minutes for Lucy to prepare, which clearly annoyed Happy. She came out dressed in her usual white mini skirt, and blue and gold sleeveless top. Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail with a dark blue ribbon to tie it off. She was light on makeup, and was wearing her brown, leather thigh-high boots. "Okay! Let's go!" She smiled as she waved the group out the door.

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Natsu had obviously stuffed his plate with junk he didn't need. Things like donuts and muffins. Lucy went light, like always, and had a piece of toast and an egg. And Happy- well, you know what he got...

As Lucy sipped her coffee, she pulled out a map of the area. "Well, I'm pretty sure we finished about seventy percent of our mission. That other guy worries me... I'm a little scared to know he's still out there. I wish I had done better to stop him." She sighed as she studied the map. "I'm sure you could've stopped him, Natsu." She said in a quiet tone.

Natsu peeked over his pile of food to see the stellar mage. "Don't say that!" He said as he stuffed a couple muffins in his mouth. "You did great!" He grinned before returning to his pile of food.

She smiled softly "Thanks. That does make me feel a little better..." She said as she laid her head in her hands sleepily.

"Aye!" Happy chimed in "You were super cool, Lushi!" He popped a sardine in his mouth before continuing "Where's that dress you had on when you fought that guy? You said it was better to fight in than your other clothes." He chirped curiously as Natsu turned to face her, waiting for a reply.

Lucy bolted upright ' _No, I can't tell them yet... I don't want to relive what happened with Aquarius. I can't be weak in front of my strong friends...'_

She hesitated before answering "U-uh, it tore in battle. When I jumped off the mast, it caught on a piece of sharp wood. It's trash now!" She said quickly before waving her hands defensively.

Natsu and Happy stared at her for a moment before tearing into their food like children. ' _Thank God they believed me...'_ Lucy thought as she let out a sigh.

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"Natsu!" Lucy whined "Why'd you have to get us kicked out of _another_ restaurant?" She complained as she beat her tiny fists on his back. "I'll never be able to drink coffee again..." She sobbed.

Happy landed on Nastu's head. "Sorry!" He laughed "I just wanted fire. Too bad they didn't have any... Oh well! Let's go find that guy!" He cheered.

"Aye sir!" Happy grinned and lifted Natsu up. "Let's go, Lucy!" He grinned as he flew off with Natsu.

"Right!" Lucy smiled as she ran off behind the two. She quickly caught up, which surprised Natsu. She seemed to easily keep pace next to the quick-flying exceed, which startled Happy. "Lushi!" He he said as he flew down next to her, not slowing down. "Wanna race?" He asked. Natsu grinned, waiting for Lucy to complain.

Natsu and Happy both paled at her reply.

"Sure! Sounds fun!" She grinned as she ran alongside Happy. "Might as well exercise if you two think I'm _heavy_." She smirked. "Let's stop and make plans first!" She said as she slowed, not breaking a sweat. ' _I see my private training came in handy...!'_ She laughed on the inside as she pulled out her map.

Natsu and Happy sweat-dropped as they saw the planning would take several minutes.

"Okay, so from here..." She pointed to their location on the map. "To here. That's our route, got it?" She asked as she pointed to the large, central lake. "Also, to make it more interesting, you can use magic. And the winner gets whatever they want from the loser for a month!" She smiled innocently.

Natsu and Happy nodded "I'm fired up!" Natsu cheered as Happy lifted him in the air "Aye sir!"

Lucy Raised her arm "Go!" She yelled as they darted off. Happy started off with max speed, which got him quite a bit ahead. Natsu grinned "Good job, Happy! We'll win for sure!"

Lucy pulled out a gate Key "Gate of the Ram, Aries!" She swung the Key in the air as she ran. Aries appeared next to her, floating on a bed of pink wool. "Yes, Lucy? I'm sorry!" She yelped.

Lucy smiled softly at the timid girl. "I need you to slow them down!" She said as she pointed at Natsu and Happy.

Aries nodded "Of course! I'm so sorry!" She said as she stood up. "Wool Bomb!" She thrust out her hands, allowing the mountain of thick, pink wool to rain down on the duo ahead.

They almost immediately fell back next to Lucy. "Oi!" Natsu frowned as Happy sped up again. "She'll lose for sure, right Natsu?" Happy asked with a grin "Yeah!" He grinned as he turned his head to Lucy. "Fire dragons ROAR!" Natsu shouted as a stream of fire protruded from his mouth, and next to Lucy. Just close enough to feel its warmth.

Lucy jumped to the side, easily dodging it. "Gate of the Bull, Taurus!" She swung another Key, this time Taurus spawned next to her.

Hearts swam in his eyes as Lucy ran next to him. "Taurus! Throw your axe in front of them! Don't hurt them though!" She grinned as Taurus immediately prepared his axe. "Yes, Lady Lucy!" He shouted as he pulled out his axe.

Natsu seethed with anger at the perverted cow. "Fire dragons, Roar!" He repeated the spell, this time directly in front of the Spirit, causing him to drop his axe and fall back into a group of bushes.

"I'm sorry, my Lucyyyy!" He called as his voice faded in the distance.

Natsu smirked proudly and Happy flew ahead. "How mush further, Natsu?" Happy whined. "I'm getting tired!"

Natsu looked behind him, to see Lucy falling back quickly. "Looks like she's getting tired as well. That probably means we're almost there!" He said stupidly as he gave a thumbs up to Happy. "Aye!"

Lucy grinned, noticing the exceed getting slower. ' _All I need is for him to lose energy, and use my conserved energy at the end as a final push! I've got this!'_ She nearly laughed out loud as her plan began to fall into action.

Natsu and Happy began to fall back quickly, just as the lake came in to view as well. Lucy, not breaking a sweat, charged up next to them, waving her hand teasingly as she bolted forward. "See ya'!" She grinned as Happy and Natsu both face-planted in the dirt. Apparently Happy's Aera only lasts an hour at Max Speed. Yes. One HOUR.

The lake was now about ninety meters away, but something sudden slowed her down.

Natsu appeared from behind her, propelling himself with the force of his Fire.

"Oh, hell no!" Lucy roared as she clipped her Keys to her belt. With the last of her energy, she sped forward. She quickly made it in front of Natsu, leaving him and Happy dumbfounded.

She frowned, focusing on the upcoming finish location. The lake was still a good distance away, but she was going to try her best. ' _Oh my God.'_ _She nearly face palmed. '_ _my hidden Enchant! Why the hell did I forget about that?!'_ She thought as she concentrated her magic power to her lower body. She chanted the magic words slowly and quietly, hoping to stay discreet. Small magic circles appeared under her feet, only for a moment.

She instantly sped up, praying that they didn't see that Magic Circles.

The lake was now about ten meters away. Five. Three. Two...

Lucy didn't even think about stopping, she was too tired to force herself to stop now. (No! Don't be like "Wtf, that's not right!" Ever felt so tired you didn't want to stop moving in fear of sudden soreness? Yeah, that's it.)

She dove into the lake, amazed at how clear it was. She swam to the surface, gazing around her surroundings. They were in a huge grassy field that was surrounded by trees. Amazingly, no trees were in the field itself. It's as if it was a shield to protect the lake. ' _There goes my imagination again...'_ She smiled softly. The whole place was bathed in the afternoon sun, leaving the place warm and comfortable.

She spun around to see Natsu and Happy panting, slowly walking to the shore of the lake. "Lushii!" Happy sobbed "You're so FAST...!" He plopped onto the ground, panting.

Natsu sat down next to him, catching his breath as well. "Now we gotta do what she says..." He grumbled childishly as he placed his feet in the cool water.

Lucy swam to the shore, wringing out her long, wet hair. "We should probably rest here. There isn't a place like this for a while, and we just ran. We'd be too tired to walk more, and it'll get dark in a few hours." She said as she walked away "I'm going to get some firewood. You two stay here and fish." She waved before quickening her pace, wanting to make use of her Enchant.

Natsu looked at Happy. "How is she even alive?!" He flailed his arms wildly "She ran faster than _us!_ "

Happy nodded solemnly. "Yeah... she was faster than me at _Max Speed!'_ " He continued to sob. "I want fish!" He stated as he walked to the lake, suddenly healed.

Natsu sat back "Yup! That's because Lucy's awesome!" He grinned.

Happy gasped, turning to face him "You liiike her!" He purred as he slowly pulled a fish out of the water.

(How is Happy so skilled at catching fish? Well, let's just say that one day... Nevermind. I've decided to save your childhood. You can thank me later...)

Natsu sputtered "Happy! I'm just stating a fact!" He said, trying to cover his blush.

Happy giggled "Yeah... You mean you're stating your opinion?" He teased again as he pulled _another_ fish out of the water.

Natsu glared at him, before crossing his arms and turning away like an ignorant child. "S-shut up!"

Happy giggled again as he piled the fish up. "If you say so!"

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It was about twenty minutes before Lucy returned with the firewood. Surprisingly, she found quite a bit. Maybe more than she needed...

Natsu perked up and ran over to help her with the firewood. "There ya' are, Luce! Happy was getting worried." He shot a glare at the Exceed before grabbing most of the load.

Lucy smiled "Thanks! Happy, you really should trust me more. I'm perfectly capable." She said as she patted the Exceeds head gently. "But thanks for worrying."

Happy looked up at her "Aye!" He turned to his pile of fish "It wasn't me who was worried..." He muttered with a sly grin.

Lucy looked over at the pile of fish "Good job!" She grinned "We'll be up and traveling by tomorrow morning!" She gave a thumbs up before reaching for her Keys. "Gate of the Ram, Aries!" She called out as she swung the Key through the air. Almost immediately, the Spirit spawned at her side. "Yes, miss Lucy? I'm sorry!" She ducked down quickly, obviously fearing the worst.

Lucy smiled at the girl "It's okay! I need you to make up some kind of bedding for now. Is that okay?" She asked softly as she place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Aries nodded and stood up, letting a small smile tug at her lips. "Yes, Ma'am." She turned to face the designated campsite. "Wool Cushion!" She shouted as wool spiraled from the ground, creating a large, thick, pink mat to sleep on. "I-is this acceptable? I'm sorry!" She said as she waited for her masters reply.

Lucy smiled at the Spirit. "This is wonderful. Thank you, Aries!" Aries nodded with a smile "My pleasure." She said before disappearing.

Lucy placed her hands on her hips and turned to face Natsu and Happy. "Well, I know it's only, what, three in the afternoon? But I wanna get a head start before it gets dark!" She grinned "I'm gonna climb a tree and see if I can scout ahead! See ya'!" She waved before running off.

Natsu and Happy stood there in shock. "Natsu... Lucy's gone mad." Happy sobbed as he chewed on a fish.

Natsu sat there watching her run off, still confused as to how she still had energy left after that race. "Hmm..." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, let's eat something! I'm hungry!" He shouted, quickly forgetting what he was thinking about.

"Aye sir!"

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 **Woo! Two chapters in one day!**

 **Gomen'nasai! I won't post two in a day that often!**

 **I'm really sorry about the delay, and I know I post late (For those in the Eastern Timezone),**

 **but I do a lot in the day, and I'm really a night owl... which is a problem... o_o;**

 **Please leave a review! I really love reading them, and it's what really keeps me writing!**

 **Don't forget to follow me on Instagram milliepop_ for possible chapter release dates. : )**

 **(Not for Followers you lil' snooper!)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hi! Thank you for being patient with me, and continuing to read my work! :') I love how I got over a hundred extra views overnight too c:  
**

 **It really makes me happy to know that people read what I offer them.**

 **You probably skip the A/N's at the beginning, because you wanna get to the story, but I really enjoy this,**

 **and it makes my day to see what people think about my story. Let it be encouragement, or constructive criticism, I enjoy all of it!**

 **Enjoy!**

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 **NORMAL POV**

Lucy grumbled as she scaled the tall tree. Her frustration was slowly building up inside her, torturing every corner of her mind. "Dammit!" She hissed as she cut her hand on a sharp branch. The warm blood trickled down her arm, and onto her clothes, leaving small red stains behind. She watched as the blood dripped, intrigued at the motion it made as it fell.

She quickly shook her head and resumed climbing, hoping to get high enough to look around the area. "I'm never gonna get to the top..." She sobbed as she continued to reach for the next branch above her.

An hour slowly went by before she reached the top. She sighed in relief as she paused to wipe the blood off her hand. "It's still running, huh?" She muttered at she examined the cut closely. The skin around where the cup had opened had slowly turned blue, which startled Lucy. "What is this...?" She said as she ran her finger along the bloody, blue skin. Without a second thought, she ripped off part of her stocking, and wrapped it around her hand tightly. "That should do it..." She mumbled before peering over the edge of the tree.

The sight before her was astonishing.

Golden hills rolled about for miles, the sunlight hitting at different angles. A sparkling lake sat in the distance, much like the one they were currently camped at. She could clearly see animals, probably horses, running on the horizon. And to the east, there was a small village, possibly a small town. It was seated at the base of a large hill. Probably the largest in the area. Puffs of smoke arose from the neat little homes and businesses as the villagers worked. She could just faintly smell the freshly baked goods they were making, which came to her surprise, since the village was probably a few miles off. "That's odd... I was sure there wasn't a place to stay for quite a while. Twenty miles at _least._ " She said slowly.

"Eep!" Lucy squeaked as everything she saw faded and changed. She grasped onto a branch to prevent herself from falling.

"What's... happening?" She shook her head as she looked around. It wasn't just the hills and village that was shifting. Apparently it was everything she could see. Lucy held on tightly to the branch, hoping not to fall.

The distorted scenery continued as she felt her warm blood trickle down her arm more profusely. Her arms became numb, and she quickly became light-headed. "Shit, shit, shit!" She began to panic as she struggled to reach her Keys.

To her horror, the Keys fell from her weak grasp, and onto the ground below her. "Loke!" She called, hoping he'd be able to pass through. "Loke!" She choked, becoming more urgent as he grasp on the branch began to slip. She glanced at her hand, where she was cut. The entire area had turned blue, and it her blood had now soaked her arm. The entire sight was blurry. It was like staring through a kaleidoscope.

Her hands became thoroughly numb, and her arms fell limp at her sides. The numbness began to spread further across her body, and was now reaching her neck and face. Her mind was screaming for her spirits to summon themselves, but she couldn't get her mouth to move.

Lucy's legs began to slip. ' _There's no way in hell I'm dying like this.'_ She thought with anger as her body began to fall.

' _Loke,'_ She thought ' _If you don't get your ass out here to save me right now, I'll be dead in no time! What the hell are you waiting for?!'_ Her mind screamed as she continued to fall.

As if on Que, a bright golden light enveloped her body, and was nearly instantly caught in the arms by her Spirit.

"Lucy! Are you alright?!" He asked as he gently sat her down.

Lucy nodded slowly, her head still slightly numb.

Loke stopped and turned to look at her cut. "Lucy... This cut is directly on your artery!" He exclaimed as he sat down to manage her wound. "This could kill you!" His hands fumbled for what leftover bandages Virgo had given him before. "A-and your skin, it's turning blue..." He added as he dabbed a cotton swab in antiseptic. "What the hell happened to cause this?!" He asked, still unaware of her numbness.

Lucy sat there motionless, wanting to sleep.

Off in the distance, shouts were heard. Loke stook up, looking in the direction of the shouts.

"LUCY!" Natsu clearly called as he ran in her direction, Happy close behind him. "LUSHII!" Happy sobbed as they reached her side.

Loke looked them up and down, a firm glare set his features. "Where the hell were you when this happened?" He snapped, defending his owner.

Natsu ignored the spirit and sat down by Lucy, examining her cut. "Lucy! Are you okay?!" He exclaimed as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

Lucy sat there, not really moving. Loke approached slowly. "Natsu, I think she's weak from blood loss... She has a pretty severe cut on her artery. Apparently it's infected by some sort of curse that's entered through the bloodstream." He stated as he bent down to tend to her wound.

Natsu froze, slowly turning to face the spirit. "WHAT?!" He roared as he grabbed Loke by the collar of his jacket. "HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?!" He pressed Loke against a tree in a threatening manner, demanding an answer.

Loke looked into his eyes, perfectly calm. "N-Natsu, she's fine," Natsu sighed in relief as he slowly placed him back on the ground, not lowering his guard.

"What kind of a curse is it then?" He asked, his bangs shading his eyes. Obviously still worried for his teammate.

Loke adjusted his glasses and brushed off his jacket. "It's not easy to explain... Has she smelled different to you at all? I mean, by your dragon senses, of course." He asked as he glanced at Lucy.

Natsu hummed in thought, then nodded quickly. "Yeah, she has. Like a-" He was interrupted by Loke.

"Like a fish, Natsu?" Loke asked as Natsu nodded slowly.

Happy jumped up "Is Lucy gonna turn into a fish?!" His mouth began to water slowly.

Loke turned to face Happy. "In a way, yes... But, it'll be strange when it happens." He said before continuing. "You'll want her around water at all times, and make sure you don't tell her about any of this. It's for her own good."

Natsu looked over at Lucy "Can't she hear us now?" He asked plainly. Loke shook his head "No, she'd fallen asleep a while ago. I doubt she's heard any of this." he said as he adjusted his Ring.

Natsu paused and frowned a Loke "Wait, why aren't you gonna be here to help? But it's not like I can't do it myself..." He crossed his arms and glared at the spirit.

Loke smiled "The Spirit King has summoned me and a few other spirits to remain in the Spirit World for a while. Possibly a few months for you... I'll need you to watch her carefully, and take care of her. I wont be here to do that for a while." He glanced nervously as Happy, who was poking Lucy and drooling. "Also, when she wakes up, she'll be able to move. Just slightly numb, and may have little memory of what just happened." He said before turning around. "See ya!" He waved to Natsu "Goodbye, my Princess." He bent down to kiss Lucy's hand.

Natsu burst into flames at the gesture. "Get out!" He yelled at the spirit angrily.

Loke chuckled before disappearing in a burst of light.

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 **NORMAL POV: A FEW HOURS LATER:**

Natsu and Happy had placed Lucy on the bed Aries had made earlier. She was still asleep.

Happy had roasted a few fish for Lucy when she woke up.

Yes, he actually _cooked_ the fish for her. ( :'r )

Natsu had sat silently by her side, waiting for her to wake up.

"Natsu... Are you okay?" Happy asked as he offered him a fish. Natsu looked down at his little friend "Yeah," He smiled "Loke says she's alright, so I gotta believe that!" He said as he gladly took the offer of fish.

Happy smiled "Aye!" He turned and walked toward the lake shore. "Natsu? How many fish should I get for tomorrow?" He asked.

Natsu looked over at Happy, half a fish sticking out his mouth. "Fi dunno. Fixth mayfbe?" (In case you're confused, he said "I dunno. Six maybe?" :3)

Happy raised a paw "Aye sir!" He quickly set to work with his makeshift fishing rod that he _always_ brought with him.

Natsu watched at Happy waddled away to a good fishing spot. His eyes quickly began to grow heavy, beckoning him into sleep. After just a few minutes, he gladly closed his eyes and rested his head next to Lucy. ' _Man, her hair smells good...'_ He thought as he drifted off.

' _Wait, smelling her hair is a pervy thing to do...'_ With that last thought, he fell asleep.

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Can you guess what happened, _again?_ Go on, guess.

Happy licked his lips at the scent of the fish he carried as he flew back to the camp. The sun was just now rising, giving the field a lazy, warm glow. The lake sparkled clearly as birds landed in the water. The weather was warm, yet slightly humid. Aries' wool had begun to thicken up from the moisture, making it twice as thick.

As Happy neared the camp, he nearly dropped his fish at the sight before him.

Once again, Natsu and Lucy were snuggled up close to each other. Natsu was snoring loudly as he wrapped his arms around Lucy's shoulders. Lucy had buried her face in his chest, obviously thankful for the extra warmth.

Happy giggled as he sat the fish on the cool, damp grass. He'd have to devise a better plan this time... ' _I got it!'_ Happy thought as he clapped his paws cheerfully. ' _I'll let them snuggle for a while longer, then I'll wake them up and tell them all about it! Ooh! Their faces will be so red!'_ Happy nearly laughed out loud as his plan began to fall into place. Sadly, it wasn't a great plan. It wasn't even different from what happened before.

Lucy had stretched to yawn, suddenly shivering at the sudden chill on her arms. Without knowing it, she snuggled back into Natsus' chest.

Natsu had stopped snoring, and began to scrunch up his face as if in deep thought.

Happy giggled again and watched the two carefully.

They remained the same way for about five minutes, then Happy got bored. "Guess I'll wake em' up now!" He exclaimed as he flew over to the sleeping duo.

He flew down into Lucy's face and poked her firmly "Lucy, wake up!" He muttered urgently. Thankfully, Natsu remained asleep. Happy always loved to see how Lucy reacted first, but sometimes he'd mix it up.

Lucy grumbled and yawned, stretching her legs. "Whadya want, Happy?" She asked with a yawn. To Happy's dismay, she hadn't even opened her eyes, nor noticed the sleeping figure right next to her.

Happy looked around, trying to find a good subject.

"Lucy! I made you breakfast!" He said sweetly as he tapped her gently.

Lucy smiled and yawned again. This time she opened her eyes and sat up. "Thanks Happ-" She froze, her face turning several shades of red.

Happy stifled a giggle "It's over there! You'll have to get it yourself though... I'm too tired." He whined as he sat down next to her.

Lucy shot a glare at the cat, regretting she ever woke up. "Now, listen here cat-" She froze again, now noticing that Natsu had begun to stir. ' _Oh, shit! This is so embarrassing!'_ She thought as Natsu sat up, not even opening his eyes yet.

"Good morning, Lucy, Happy." He waved lazily before rolling off the woolen bed. He landed with a thump on the ground, and slowly walked over to where the fish had been sitting.

Happy and Lucy watched silently. Waiting for his reaction, or if he even noticed the argument between them at all.

"How's your cut, Lucy?" He asked, suddenly full of energy as he walked over to her side.

Lucy stared at him for a moment, wondering what he meant. Then she remembered cutting her hand on the tree... "U-uh... I don't know." She stuttered nervously as she glanced at the bandaged wrist. She reluctantly grabbed part of the bandage, and slowly pulled it off.

Everyone held their breath as the last bit of bandage fell off. Happy, on the other hand, ended up passing out.

"Wh-what the hell is this?!" Lucy shrieked as she stared at the blueish scales on her arm. They had spread from her artery, down to her elbow.

Natsu stared in stunned silence, then remembered Loke's words: _"Is Lucy gonna turn into a fish?!" Happy exclaimed. Loke turned to face him "In a way, yes. But it's quite hard to explain..."._

Natsu remembered that he had also said it was harmless, and no threat to Lucy whatsoever. They were apparently in some sort of enchanted forest, and the area used to be underwater. Like an ocean. So the trees were enchanted by some powerful, yet harmless curse by mages who lived here centuries ago.

Natsu snapped out of his thoughts, now becoming surprised at how he remember all of that information.

Lucy sat there shaking, clearly confused and scared for what would happen to her. She took a deep breath in, and began to collect her thoughts. "Okay, so I don't feel sick... yet... and I'm growing scales. I don't sense much magic power in the scales themselves, and they don't seem to be physically harming me. But I'm not sure of what's happening to my skin underneath them... Nevermind, forget that part," She began to talk to herself in attempt to reassure her mind "I think I've heard about a spell or curse that does this, but they're much more severe, and act much faster, so I doubt that's what this is..." She continued talking as Natsu stood there, wondering how she got all that information just by examining the scales. ' _Oh, right! Lucy's smart!'_ He thought proudly.

"So, do you feel alright? Do you need any water?" Natsu asked, prepared to get her anything she needed. He wasn't going to let her go through this alone.

Lucy froze, then looked at him for a moment. "Yes. I need water." She said.

Natsu nodded and ran off to get some water.

Meanwhile, Happy began to recover from his lack of consciousness. "Lucy?" Happy wiggled off the ground, and into her lap with a sleepy gaze. "Are you okay?"

Lucy smiled softly "Yeah, I'm fine." She patted his head softly as Natsu returned with the water. "Here, Lucy!" He handed her the large cup of water.

"Oh, thank God! Thanks, Natsu!" She sighed in relief as she gratefully took the cup. She lifted it up quickly, and dumped it over her head, much to Happy's surprise.

"Wah! Lucy!" Happy squealed as he jumped from her lap.

Lucy sat the cup down and looked back at the scales. "Thanks Natsu." She said again as she stood up. "I'm gonna go wash my hair..." She mumbled worriedly as she jogged to the shore, behind a large rock to bathe.

Natsu watched her walk away, making sure she got there safely. "I sure hope she takes this well..." Happy said as he sat on Natsu's head.

"Yeah." Natsu hummed "But I'm sure she will! As long as the curse doesn't harm her in any way, I'm sure we'll all be fine!" He patted his head. "Plus, Lucy's really strong!" He added.

"Aye!" Happy chirped. "But, it makes me sad to see Lucy sad..." He said.

Natsu nodded "Yeah, me too..."

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 **Meep! All done for now!**

 **Please leave a review before leaving! Just a word of encouragement would be amazing!**

 **At least I don't get writers block! I'm always coming up with ideas to share, and I can't wait for**

 **the end of the day when I can finally start to write. It makes me so happy, and I swear I could do it all day!**

 **Thank you so much for reading!**

 **See ya' next time! c:**

 **\- Candybugg**


	7. Chapter 6

**Yo, minna-san!**

 **I wanna know what I should name this arc!**

 **And how should Natsu act? Slightly ooc (Acts like he likes Lucy and respects her privacy, etc), normal, or gradual?**

 **PM me your ideas, or leave it in a review!**

 **Anyways, enjoy chapter one!**

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 **Normal POV**

Lucy floated in the lake, enjoying the silence. However, she didn't enjoy being alone with her thoughts... The idea of this curse changing her forever was something she couldn't handle. But she also wondered if it would make her stronger, especially since it isn't harming her yet. Regular curses would act quickly and be extremely painful, which is the opposite of her situation now.

She was beyond confused. But the thought of becoming stronger outweighed the thought of being changed forever. Actually... those could end up the same...

She sat up in the water and slapped her cheeks firmly. "Get a hold of yourself..." She mumbled as she began to dip her head underwater.

The lake from this view was amazing! The water was clear, and she could easily see the bottom, which was actually disturbing, and see other fish around her. The plant life was like nothing she'd seen in her entire life. Seaweed-like plants floated from the ground beneath her, giving off a faint glow. A few other plants that looked like vines, trees and bushes filled the area with an array of colors. Primarily red, orange, blue, green and yellows.

She curiously swam to a coral-like structure that was deeper in the lake. It wasn't very large, nor did it look very stable. As Lucy swam closer to it, it looked more like an old rock. It's form was that of a misshapen pergola, and had a few small fresh-water urchins along the sides. A few glowing plants decorated the bottom, giving it a welcoming aura.

As she swam around the rock, she ran her hands along the rough surface, amused by the faint glow her touch had left. ' _Must be a type of plant...'_ She thought with a smile as she swam underneath the rock.

She twisted around to see that a plant had latched itself around her ankle. More plants began to reach for her legs, slowly pulling her under. Lucy quickly attempted to tear them off, but was useless as they were strong, thick, and large in numbers. She began to get lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. She knew she wouldn't be able to remain down here any longer, and it was very unwise to struggle.

Then, something clicked. She closed her eyes and focused. Soon, her body radiated a warm, bright, golden glow. Her body was soon adorned with her Aquarius Star Dress form. As much as it pained her to remember what had happened at tartaros, she knew that this was possibly her only chance of escape.

The plant tendrils slowly worked their way up to her hips, getting a better grip. They quickly released needles from the sides, digging into her legs and torso.

Lucy choked out, letting out her remaining air. Her mind went into a state of panic as she squirmed, trying to get loose. (This got bad fast, hue hue hue! /_\\)

' _That's it!_ ' She thought angrily as she mustered the last of her strength, with a bonus in her Star Dress form. Unfortunately, she isn't sure of how to exactly how to use this form. But she knew it gave her the strength she needed to get out in time.

She prepared her body for what was to come as she reached down with her bare hands, gripping the plants. Needles stabbed at her hands brutally as she tightened her grip. ' _Alright, this better work.'_ She thought as she braced herself, then yanked at the plants.

 **NATSU/HAPPY P.O.V.**

Natsu rolled over in the grass leisurely as he waited for Happy to catch some fish. "Oi, Happy." Natsu spoke up.

"What is it, Natsu?" Happy asked as he pulled in a small fish.

Natsu sat up "Whadya think is taking Luce so long?" He asked, wanting to eat lunch with everyone.

Happy shrugged "Probably being weird! Ya know how she likes to take long baths." Happy giggled as he pulled in the last fish for the hour. "Why don't you go check on her?" He purred teasingly.

Natsu blushed and quickly averted his gaze from the exceed. "N-no way! She'll probably beat me up!" He whined, thinking of how to change the subject.

"'Probably'? Natsu, you _know_ she'd beat you up!" Happy laughed as he waddled over to Natsu.

Natsu shot a glare at the exceed. "And I'd just tell her it was your idea." He smirked, gaining new confidence in the argument.

Happy teared up dramatically "Natsu! You're so mean!" He sobbed hysterically.

Natsu laughed and patted his friend on the head "Agh, I guess I'll go. Better safe than sorry, right Happy?" He smiled at his blue friend.

"Aye!" Happy cheered with newfound cheeriness. "I'll go with you!" He offered as he flew along side Natsu. Natsu smiled at his partner as they walked over to a large boulder where Lucy had taken off into the water.

"Lucy?" Natsu spoke as he looked around seeing no sign of her.

Happy looked out into the lake, seeing no motion. "Natsu..." He began to sob in worry for his partner. "Where's Lucy?"

Natsu frowned, knowing something was off.

"Happy! Stay here!" He yelled as realization hit him like a brick wall. Lucy was under the water, not surfacing.

Happy floated there, waiting nervously as Natsu raced to the shore and dove in without a moments hesitation.

Natsu was surprised at how clear the water was as he dove in. But that allowed him to have the advantage in finding Lucy. He scanned around, and almost immediately saw Lucy struggling. Clouds of sand and dirt was kicked up in a frenzy as she tried to yank at the plants.

Natsu swam forward as fast as he could, and soon reached her side. Lucy stiffened in surprise at his sudden appearance, then looked him in the eye. Natsu nodded at her before swimming down to rip off the plants.

' _Bastards...'_ Natsu thought as he managed to melt one off. ' _You're not taking Lucy anywhere!'_ He thought angrily as he pulled the last of the plants off of her. He turned to help her swim up, but she had gone limp. ' _Oh shit...'_ Panic filled Natsu's mind as he grabbed hold of her.

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Happy waited for Natsu to return. He had been under there for a few minutes already. "Natsu..." He whined as he contemplated going under to help.

Then, as Happy began to stand up, Natsu broke the surface of the water, holding Lucy close.

"Natsu!" Happy cried as he flew over to help him.

Natsu didn't speak as he sat Lucy down on the grass. She laid there, not moving.

In an instant, Natsu had tilted up her chin and pinched her nose. He quickly leaned down to place his lips on hers. He exhaled as he tried to resuscitate her.

Happy stood behind him, trembling.

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.

A few moments had passed and Natsu was exhausted. He had successfully gotten Lucy to breathe, but she was still unconscious.

Natsu had Lucy stretched across his lap, feeling the need to hold her in fear of her going off again. He rested his hand on her forehead gently as she remained motionless.

Happy watched Lucy and Natsu quietly, hoping things would turn for the better.

The sun was in the middle of the sky, indicating it was around noon. That was when Lucy finally began to stir.

Natsu and Happy perked up, staring at her intensely. "Lucy?" Happy stood up and walked to her side.

Lucy's eyes fluttered open as Happy called her name. "H-Happy? Natsu?" She sat up slowly, but quickly laid back down. The pain in her head was too much at the moment, so she plopped back into Natsu's lap.

"Lucy! Are you okay?!" Nastu asked worriedly. He placed the back of his hand on her cheek to see if she had a fever, thankfully she didn't.

Lucy nodded slowly "Yeah, thanks." She smiled softly. "I sure got myself into a mess..." She chuckled nervously. She was still clearly shaken up.

In attempt to calm her down some, Natsu changed the subject. "Where did 'ya get that outfit? I've never seen it before." He pointed out.

Lucy stiffened and remembered she still had her Aquarius Star Dress on. "Ah, I had... Virgo bring it to me! After the race, my clothes were all messed up so I needed something else to wear."

Natsu frowned, actually being able to tell she was bluffing. He decided not to press any further. "Anyways," Natsu started "How'd you beat me in the race?!" He asked, sounding completely flabbergasted.

Lucy shrugged "I just came up with a few tactics and went with it. But don't be surprised, I've gotten stronger too 'ya know." She smiled playfully.

Natsu cracked a grin "Right!"

Happy waddled up and tapped his shoulder. "Natsu..." He grinned devilishly as the Dragon Slayer turned to face him. "What is it, Happy?" Happy giggled and pointed at Lucy, who had absentmindedly snuggled into Natsu for warmth.

Natsu felt his face heat up. Happy, who clearly noticed this, flew away giggling.

Natsu flung his hands to the back of his head, where they usually sat.

"Natsu?" Lucy called in a curious tone.

"Yeah? Is something wrong?" Natsu asked as he glanced down at Lucy.

She shook her head "No, just wanted to say thank you. I don't want to think about what would've become of me if you hadn't been there." She smiled as she sat up, and wrapped him into a gentle hug.

Natsu blushed at the sudden hug, but didn't reject it. (Of course he didn't ;D) He grinned and looked her in the eye "Well, after that, Happy and I aren't letting you out of our sights. Are we Happy?" He asked the exceed, who agreed quickly.

"Aye Sir!"

.

.

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 **Next day. Normal P.O.V.**

Lucy wiggled her toes in the soft earth, waiting for Natsu and Happy to wake up and eat the breakfast she had prepared for them. ' _Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't smell the food when I first prepared it!'_ She thought with a giggle. ' _I guess I'll let them sleep. They deserve that.'_ She stood up and brushed the dirt off of the back of her shorts. She had changed out of her Star Dress form since it had begun to drain her magic power. She was now clad in an outfit Virgo had brought her earlier that morning. It was a pair of black shorts with a brown belt. She had thigh-high boots on with a map tucked away in one of them. She wore a tight fitted, red tank top with her hair pulled into double buns at the sides. She was pretty confident in herself today.

As she stood up, she slowly removed the bandage from her arm. Her heart sank at the sight before her: Her entire forearm had been covered in purple scales, and was now trailing up to her shoulder. She quickly turned to look at her other arm, and to her dismay, it had begun to grow scales as well. ' _What the hell is wrong with me?'_ she sighed, seeing as it wasn't a threat. She wrapped both arms in bandages and turned her attention to where the plants had injected needles in her legs and lower torso.

She sighed in relief as the spots where the needles were had healed greatly from the other day. However, her legs and torso were now decorated with an array of small red spots, varying in size. Lucy sighed as she stood up. The food was still good, considering she had placed a preservation enchant on it.

A few minutes later, both Natsu and Happy woke up to the smell of fresh food.

Natsu immediately sniffed the air, a string of drool dripping from his mouth.

Lucy turned to face Natsu with a smile as she quickly dispelled the preservation enchant over the food. "Morning! Go ahead and help yourself, I'm making Happy a plate too." She said as she placed a few fish onto a wooden board. She walked over and sat it next to Happy, who drooled endlessly before digging in. "Thank you, Lucy!" He cheered as he took another bite of fish.

"Yeah! Thanks!" Natsu agreed as he finished his plate.

Lucy smiled "No problem! Now, we should get ready to leave soon. We've been here far too long." She said, pointing a finger in the direction of the outskirts of the field.

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 **That's all for now!**

 **I am SO SORRY for not updating soon! My only excuse I have is I'm sick again! And this time i have Lyme disease. I have to go out of state for a doctor too...**

 **Full explanation on my instagram page themicrowavedgerbil**

 **I would REALLY REALLY love a review on my story so far. I'm worried that my work is starting to become less interesting to you guys.**

 **Anyways, please forgive me if I take a long time to post again! I've been really busy!**

 **Have an amazing morning/afternoon/evening! 3**


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